Building Community Consensus

for social development,

biodiversity mainstreaming and

conservation in Lacandon Tropical

Rainforest

Héctor Albores Cruz

Presidente Municipal de Ocosingo,

Chiapas México.

The Lacandon

Tropical Forest

of Chiapas

1. The most biodiverse

ecosystem in Mexico.

2. The biggest water

reservoir in the country.

3. 29 % of Mexican mammal

species live there.

4. Unique biodiversity

(endemism).

Social concern and

threats

1. Habitat fragmentation due to deforestation.

2. Natural recourses degradation.

3. Lack of sustainable-biodiversity friendly production systems: Extensive livestock and agriculture production units.

4. Poverty.

5.- Population growth.

Consensus building:

Motivaciones:

1. Building trust among

stakeholders.

2. Searching economic alternative

for new generations.

3. Community based agreements.

4. Engaging in sustainability.

5. Institutional coordination ,

federation, station and

municipal.

6. Local capacity strenghthening.

Agreements to ensure

social development and

biodiversity

conservation:

70 communities out of 123

engagements for conservation.

42 productive organizations

participate.

3 municipal governments

involved

1. Ocosingo

2. Marqués de Comillas.

3. Maravilla Tenejapa.

Federal and state institutions,

working together; Agriculture

land planning, indigenous

peoples and environment

sectors.

Challenges at the

local level to comply

with the agreements:

Elaborate a Regional

sustainable

development Program

Measure and evaluate

objectives

Challenges at the local

level to comply with the

agreements:

Technical capacities

Knowledge and

information services

Social accountability

“Trees and stars are made from

the same root; when a tree

falls, a star falls too….”

Chankin Viejo.

Thank you